Josue Bessiake is a first-generation Ivorian-American painter working across media. His work speaks directly to the physical conditions of his environment, working between a passing glance and a thorough investigation. Bessiake interweaves image and materials to dissect memory, history, and place.   

Bessiake is an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture whose work has been supported by residencies at the Ballinglen Museum of Art, the Edward F. Albee Foundation, and the Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency. 

Bessiake has presented work at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the New York Academy of Art, and the National Gallery of The Bahamas, and is a two-time recipient of a grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. Recent exhibitions include Walpole Ontological Lab and Farm (Walpole, ME), the Institute for Public Architecture (New York, NY), and Presa House Gallery (San Antonio, TX).